South Korea and Vietnam
Industry, investment and human ties connect South Korea and Vietnam. The establishment of diplomacy in 1992 opened an economic cooperation framework. Trade and capital aggregates show different dimensions and are not added together as a single measure of the relationship.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Diplomatic relations since 1992
The Korean profile dates the establishment of relations to 22 December 1992.
Annual trade in 2025
The Korean source publishes 94,600 million dollars in bilateral trade in 2025.
Companies and human contacts
The activity of factories, suppliers and professionals links both economies on their own timelines.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 94,547.91 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / KOR |
| Goods: South Korea to Vietnam | 62,773.67 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / KOR |
| Goods: Vietnam to South Korea | 31,774.23 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / KOR |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: South Korea to Vietnam | 8.85 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / KOR |
| Export share: Vietnam to South Korea | ||
| Investment stock: South Korea in Vietnam | ||
| Investment stock: Vietnam in South Korea |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / KOR · Goods; full year; KOR reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: South Korea to Vietnam
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / KOR · Goods; full year; KOR reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Vietnam to South Korea
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / KOR · Goods; full year; KOR reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: South Korea to Vietnam
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / KOR · Goods share: KOR exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | South Korea | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.87 trillion USD2025 · WB | 514.7 billion USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP per capita | 36,226.97 USD2025 · WB | 5,065.99 USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP growth | 1.01 %2025 · WB | 8.02 %2025 · World Bank |
| Policy interest rate | 3 %2026-08-27 · Bank of Korea | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.12 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 3.31 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 2.9 %Headline CPI · 2026-09 · year-on-year · Ministry of Data and Statistics | |
| Unemployment | 2.68 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 1.52 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -1.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 52.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 30.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 6.57 %2025 · WB | 6.33 %2024 · World Bank |
| Population | 51,684,5642025 · WB | 101,598,5272025 · World Bank |
| Area | 100,450 km²2023 · WB | 331,338 km²2023 · World Bank |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)South Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)South Korea: 2026-08-27 · Base Rate · Bank of Korea · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)South Korea: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedSouth Korea: 2026-09 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · Ministry of Data and Statistics · Published: 2026-10-02 · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSouth Korea: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)South Korea: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Vietnam: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)South Korea: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Vietnam: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceSouth Korea: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
South Korea to Vietnam
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 40,628.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 4,159.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 2,178.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 1,029.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 194.1 M USD2025 · Source |
Vietnam to South Korea
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 12,264.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 7,008.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 341.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 33 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 23.3 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from South Korea living in Vietnam | ||
| Residents from Vietnam living in South Korea | ||
| Study and training: South Korea in Vietnam | ||
| Study and training: Vietnam in South Korea | ||
| Academic stays: South Korea in Vietnam | ||
| Academic stays: Vietnam in South Korea | ||
| Travel: South Korea to Vietnam | ||
| Travel: Vietnam to South Korea |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Diplomatic relations since 1992
The Korean profile dates the establishment of relations to 22 December 1992. The record includes cooperation and economic data from several periods. Institutions and businesses have channels distinct from political visits. Diplomatic normalization does not imply that all industrial, educational or security projects are adopted simultaneously or with identical scope. [1]
Annual trade in 2025
The Korean source publishes 94,600 million dollars in bilateral trade in 2025. That aggregate retains the profile's coverage and is not added to the common table's Comtrade total, which uses its own record. Exchanges can connect components and final products in international chains. Their gross value does not measure all business profits or national value added. [1]
Investment as a distinct measure
The same profile records 56,800 million dollars of Korean investment through December 2025. Its cumulative coverage is not automatically transformed into a position comparable to another body's historical-cost measure. Commitments, flows and accumulated capital have different definitions. The amount is attributed to the diplomatic profile and is not added to annual trade or announced projects. [1]
The scale of the two economies
South Korea recorded nominal GDP of 1872.4 billion USD in 2025, compared with 514.7 in 2025 for Vietnam. The reference populations were 51.68 million (2025) and 101.6 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, South Korea's nominal GDP was 3.64 times Vietnam's. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Companies and human contacts
The activity of factories, suppliers and professionals links both economies on their own timelines. Student and resident counts must come from human records, not investment volume. The relationship is described through specific data and institutions; it is not assumed that every increase in goods amounts to a change in diplomatic position or that all subsidiary activity crosses customs. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between South Korea and Vietnam totaled USD 94,547.9 million. South Korea's shipments to Vietnam were 62,773.7 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 31,774.2 million USD. South Korea's shipments to the partner represented 8.85 % of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporting country. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [2]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Vietnam relations and figures
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 410; partners 0,643,704,360
UN Comtrade / KOR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KOR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KOR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KOR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KOR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KOR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / KOR
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / KOR
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / KOR
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / KOR
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / KOR
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 410; partners 643,704,360; X/M; annual goods.